Infobae: China and Turkey are the countries that imprisoned the most journalists in 2019

China beat Turkey and became the country with more journalists imprisoned for their work, According to the committee for the protection of journalists (CPJ), who denounces that the number of information professionals is kept close to historical maximums.

In total, at least 250 reporters are in prisons around the world for charges related to their work, According to an annual report published Wednesday by the organization based in New York. The figure is slightly lower than that of a year ago, When the CPJ had documented 255 case, But it remains close to 273 Registered prisoners 2016, The historical maximum since this entity has statistics.

With at least 48 journalists in prison, one more than in 2018, China This year is the country with more informal prisoners, According to the CPJ, who denounces that the figures have increased continuously under the government of Xi Jinping.

The Repression against Muslim minorities in the province of Xinjiang has led to the arrest of dozens of journalists, several of them supposedly in relation to the work they had carried out years ago, According to the report.

For the first time in four years, Türkiye does not lead this ranking, When passing 68 jailed journalists a year ago 47 in 2019.

According to the CPJ, That figure, however, It does not mean an improvement, It reflects “The successful efforts of the Government of President Rece Tayyip Erdogan to end independent journalism and criticism”. The organization recalls that the Turkish authorities have closed more than one hundred media and have presented terrorism charges against many of their employees.

The CPJ recalls that dozens of journalists who are not currently in Turkish prisons continue to face judgments or appeals that can end them in prison, or they are abroad and they would be detained if they return to their country.

The infamous podium is completed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, both with 26 journalists in prison.

In relation to the Saudi monarchy, The CPJ denounces that The authorities do not even intend to carry out fair judicial processes, Well in 18 Of the cases, charges have not been made known and those who are convicted are usually in secret and in a hurried way. She further , The report indicates that there are extensive information that points to Use of torture against political prisoners, including journalists.

According to the CPJ, Arrests and abuse show that the Saudi heir prince, Mohamed Bin Salmán, "Its brutal repression continues” Against the opposition after the murder of the columnist Jamal Khashoggi, with which they have linked several intelligence reports.

In Egypt, After the release of several journalists throughout the year, In recent months there have been new arrests around protests against corruption in the September Army.

The CPJ also highlights the situation in Iran, Where there is 11 Prison reporters, or in Russia, where there are seven, Four of them linked to their work in the busy Ukrainian region of Crimea.

The report includes Three prisoners in Latin America. Roberto Jesús Quiñones, of cuban, He was sentenced to a year in jail for the Cuban regime. David Romero Ellner, Globe chain, He was sentenced in Honduras to 10 Years in Dipamation. In turn, Venezuelan photographer Jesús Medina Ezaine was arrested in 2018 By the Chavista regime, accused of inciting hatred, But still behind bars without a firm conviction.

According to the report, and 98 percent of journalists arrested in the world are local professionals who cover their own country, While only four foreigners are in prison, three of them in Saudi Arabia.

(With EFE information)

More on this subject:

Vladimir Putin signed a law that allows to declare “foreign agents” To journalists and bloggers

Mexico and Brazil, among the 13 countries of the world with the highest impunity rate in murders to journalists